Joliette makes a match
In this episode, Ralph recovers from a gunshot wound, and Joliette matches her friend, Vanessa with someone new. Scene One A room at Massachusetts General Hospital, the morning after his shooting himself. Ralph Atchison had survived, with more of an injury to his arm. He was not a very good shot. Brad and Linda are sitting with him. RALPH: I am sorry, kids. I bet your mother would have been infuriated with me for what I did. LINDA: I think Mom would have understood. RALPH: I should have seen what Libby and Alexandra were up to. BRAD: How were you to know, Dad? Those two girls are two peas in a pod. Both are manipulative and evil. RALPH: What are you going to do, Brad? BRAD: I am going to divorce Alexandra. Immediately, if I can. But I have to find a good divorce lawyer, and also have to make sure the prenup is ironclad. LINDA: I know a good lawyer who could help you. RALPH: That would be good for him. Who is that? LINDA: Bryan Forson. RALPH: The federal prosecutor? Are you sure? LINDA: I talked with him and his wife, Anyssa, last night. They just moved to Boston from Brockton. Their whole family moved here too. BRAD: Wait a minute, isn't Anyssa a Harper? LINDA: Yes, I catered her uncle's wedding reception. BRAD: That's right. You did tell me that. I didn't know Anyssa and Bryan were related to such a famous family. RALPH: The Harpers are a family to be reckoned with. They are as much a top level family as we are. BRAD: And it wouldn't hurt to have them in our corner. RALPH: Where do they live? LINDA: On Louisburg Square. RALPH: Once I am out of here, we have to meet them under better circumstances. (Ralph, Linda and Brad spend time together.) Scene Two The Globe Bookstore in Downtown Crossing. Vanessa Harper is looking over some used books. She is lost in thought. She is with her best friend, Joliette Manning. JOLIETTE: What's going on, girl? You're a million miles away. VANESSA: I am sorry, Joliette, I am just reveling in this wonderful bookstore. JOLIETTE: I can tell. But I know something else is on your mind. VANESSA: That obvious, eh? JOLIETTE: It is to me, at least. VANESSA: It's a guy. JOLIETTE: It usually is. Who is he? VANESSA: Luke Erickson. JOLIETTE: He moved up. He's now working with the City Council here in Boston. VANESSA: I am in love with him. JOLIETTE: Does he know? VANESSA: No, he doesn't, not yet, at least. JOLIETTE: What are you waiting for, girlfriend? If you are in love with him, tell him that you are. VANESSA: I don't know if I can tell him that. I am nervous. JOLIETTE: You can do it. You're stronger than a lot of people I know. (Vanessa smiles and gives Joliette a hug) Scene Three Boston Public Garden. Luke Erickson, the object of Vanessa's love, is eating lunch. He is talking with his best friend, Abby Stevenson. LUKE: She makes my heart stir. ABBY: Who? LUKE: Vanessa Harper. ABBY: You mean, THE Vanessa Harper? LUKE: There is only one of her. ABBY: I know her. She is a good person. LUKE: I know. I can't get her out of my mind. ABBY: Are you in love with Vanessa Harper? LUKE: I don't know. ABBY: You can't ever know, if you don't ask her. LUKE: You're right, Abb. I think I will ask her. ABBY: There is no harm in asking. (enter Joliette and Vanessa.) LUKE: Speak of the devil. ABBY: I think this is my cue to split. (Joliette and Abby go to one of the kiosks for a tea.) LUKE: Hi. VANESSA: Hi. LUKE: Lovely day, isn't it? VANESSA: For August, it is. LUKE: What are you doing this afternoon? VANESSA: I was at the Globe Bookstore with Joliette. LUKE: I have a couple of hours off from work. Want to go for a late lunch? VANESSA: Sure. I would love that. LUKE: Let's go. (Abby and Joliette smile as Luke and Vanessa are on their way to lunch) Scene Four The Atchison House. LIBBY: Damn, damn, DAMN! How could he had MISSED? ALEXANDRA: Libby, things were going so well too! We almost had Ralph eating out of our hands. LIBBY: Had it not been for my stupid sister getting that dirt on you, we would have taken over the family! ALEXANDRA: What about Brad? LIBBY: Brad is nothing to me. I don't care if he is burned by you. ALEXANDRA: That is good. I want to see him destroyed! He is too soft. He won't ever be rid of me. I can do what I want, but he cannot! And if he tries to divorce me, I will get everything! LIBBY: And with MY help, I can make sure that it will come to pass! ALEXANDRA: I have to keep my marriage to him. It's imperative. LIBBY: Why DO you keep him on such a short leash? ALEXANDRA: It's simple. Brad is too dumb and too naive to even ask about anything I do. LIBBY: Last night, he was pretty upset with you. ALEXANDRA: I can lie to make him mollified. He can't do anything to me! LIBBY: That prenup you signed was ironclad. ALEXANDRA: Please, he is so dumb that he doesn't know which side is up. Locking him away will automatically make me rich! (enter Linda, who has overheard everything!) LINDA: Once more, your loud mouth is your Achilles heel! ALEXANDRA: I have nothing to say to you! LINDA: You listen to me, BOTH of you. You mess with me, Dad OR Brad, you will end up out of this house, for GOOD! (Linda storms off while Libby and Alexandra seethe) Scene Five Dylan and Alex's townhouse. Dylan is sitting over in nearby Louisburg Square, reading the Boston Globe. As a resident of Louisburg Square, he has that right. SHEILA: Morning, hon. DYLAN (smiling): Morning, Sheila. What are you doing up so early? SHEILA (grinning): Couldn't sleep. Allen woke me up. DYLAN: Well, it's a nice morning, no sense in wasting it. It was quiet enough that a time in the square would not be amiss. SHEILA: I have a charity thing at the Gardiner Museum this morning, and then some ridiculous press conference over at the Mother Church. DYLAN: The First Church of Christ Scientist? What is going on over there? SHEILA: I don't know. I know one thing, though, It's plenty stupid. Some Republican yahoo wants to use the First Church of Christ Scientist as a backdrop. DYLAN: How did you get roped into that? You're a fashion designer! SHEILA: One of my business contacts, Roger Leeman, is the press secretary. He wants me to go there. DYLAN: And obviously, you don't want to. SHEILA: No, I don't. I talked to Roger, but he says it would be a drop in the bucket for a Harper to be there. DYLAN: A very fatal assumption. SHEILA: Obviously, Roger fails to realize that we are Democrats! DYLAN: We have to make this goon see that we're not Republicans. SHEILA: What I don't get is how Roger knows me. DYLAN: I don't know Roger Leeman. Nobody in the family does. (Sheila and Dylan wonder about the mysterious Roger Leeman) (Voice of Greg Rikaart: "Harpers Falls will continue in a moment, here on ONtv.") Scene Six Outside of the First Church of Christ Scientist. One of Boston's world famous landmarks and home of the Mapparium, this area on the south side of the Back Bay Fens. As the Vatican is the main Catholic Church in the world, so is this to the Christian Scientists. This is where Roger Leeman, the person Sheila was talking about, is talking on the cell phone. ROGER: Of course she has no idea that this is a set up. I am planning a hostile takeover of her fashion house. MYSTERY WOMAN: I don't think Sheila Watkins is even GOOD at design. ROGER: Please. Cynthia Archer thought she was talented. MYSTERY WOMAN: Talent can only take you so far. ROGER: But she is an excellent designer. And with Cynthia and Christina in her corner, she is unassailable. MYSTERY WOMAN (revealed to be Libby Atchison!): Who cares?! When I want something, I want it and I aim to get it! ROGER: I don't think she would give up without a fight! LIBBY: Fine, I will fight her! I don't give a damn that she is a Harper! I will destroy her! Nobody stops Libby Atchison when she gets what she wants! ROGER: Then leave me out of this! LIBBY: I paid you good money to get that bitch! And I want RESULTS! ROGER: Take your money, lady. I am NOT interested! (Roger disconnects the call. Then calls Sheila, explaining to her that she didn't have to be there.) Scene Seven The Atchison Home LIBBY: Damn it! ALEXANDRA: What are you on about now? LIBBY: Roger failed me! ALEXANDRA: What do you mean? LIBBY: That son of a bitch stopped the press conference to stop my hostile takeover of Sheila Watkins Designs. ALEXANDRA: Libby, what are you DOING?! You're no designer! LIBBY: So what? It's the principle of the thing! ALEXANDRA: I know of a former fashion house that is good enough. LIBBY: Fine, I will use that. And I will destroy Sheila Watkins Designs and all it stands for! ALEXANDRA: Why the sudden hate on the Harpers? LIBBY: They are outsiders! ALEXANDRA: Now, I KNOW you're delusional! The Harpers can trace their ancestry back to the Mayflower! LIBBY: They're lying! ALEXANDRA: No, I am dead serious. LIBBY: Don't YOU start in on me now! ALEXANDRA: I'm not! Just don't mess with the Harpers! They wield more power than even my family does! They have been a part of Boston society for generations! LIBBY: Please, enough Harper history! You're beginning to bore me! (Libby saunters out, Alexandra is unconcerned, except for herself.) Scene Eight Massachusetts General. Ralph's room. BRAD: What do I do about Alexandra, Dad? RALPH: I always thought she was a girl of quality, I guess I was very wrong. BRAD: I called the lawyer, Bryan Forson. Thank heavens that prenup IS ironclad. RALPH: Very good. But you know she will try to contest it. BRAD: Maybe so, but I have enough ammo to stop her. (Enter Linda.) LINDA: I just came back from the house. Libby is at it again. RALPH: Now what? LINDA: She has her sights set on the Harpers, and she aims to destroy them! RALPH: She's gone too far this time. I am doing something that I should have done a long time ago. LINDA: What's that? RALPH: Honey, I should have listened to you. Libby was going wild, and I only enabled her. This has to stop. BRAD: And Alexandra? RALPH: Whatever means are at my disposal, I will use to make sure that sham of a marriage is over. BRAD: Thanks. (Brad and Linda smile at the idea of Libby being taken down a few notches) Scene Nine Outside of Dylan's townhouse. SHEILA: Good news, Dylan. Roger cancelled the press conference. Turned out to be a sham. DYLAN: A sham? Why? SHEILA: Apparently, I am now in the crosshairs of Libby. She is now after me! DYLAN: You? Why? SHEILA: She wanted my fashion design house. And she's mad because she can't have it now. DYLAN: Oh, good lord! She's one of those! SHEILA: Yeah, a little entitled brat! DYLAN: She has to be stopped. SHEILA: I think she will be. DYLAN: Here's hoping. (Sheila drinks her coffee, while Dylan plans on how to put Libby out of commission.) Scene Ten Libby's room at the Atchison House. LIBBY: Daddy, you may have missed the mark on suicide, but when Libby kills, the accuracy is undeniable! (She is stopped in her tracks by her father!) RALPH: Libby, the free ride is over! I will NOT allow you to harm the Harpers! You are going to be stopped once and for all! (Libby is frozen in fear!) (Voice of Adrienne Frantz: "On the next Harpers Falls..." SHEILA (to Libby): You little snip! I've dealt with your kind before and triumphed! CYNTHIA (to Christina): We have to make sure Libby doesn't get any contacts! BRAD (to Alexandra): It's over! I want this divorce, and I want it NOW! Category:Episodes Category:Episodes featuring Dylan and Sheila Category:Hall of Fame Episodes